Automatic air-coupling.



C. L TURNER.

AUTOMATIC AIR COUPLING. APPLICATION FILED was 29. 1915.

I l 1 89,0 1 8. Patented June 27, 1916.

C.L..TURNER m: COLUMBIA I'LANDGRAPH co., \VASHINGTON, D- c- CLAUD L. TURNER, F GERING, NEBRASKA.

AUTOMATIC AIR-COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 29, 1915. Serial No. 37,074.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLAUD L. TURNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Gering, in the county of Scotts Bluff, State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Air- Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in pipe couplings and is particularly directed to the provision of a pipe coupling for use on railway cars and the like and which is automatically operated upon the cars being connected together.

It is the object in general of the present invention to improve the efficiency and to simplify the structure of devices of this character and it is more specifically the obj ect of the invention to provide such means for connecting the coupling members to their respective cars in such manner that jerking movement of the car to which the coupling member is attached will not be directly transmitted to the coupling member to possibly disengage it from coupling relation with a ooacting member.

With the above and other objects and advantages in view, the invention resides more particularly in the novel combination, formation and arrangement of parts as more fully described hereinafter and pointed out in the appended claim. 1

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings, wherein similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which Figure l is a side elevational view of the adjacent ends of two cars provided with the improved coupling; Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional View taken through the coupling; Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is sectional view on the line H of Fig. 1.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, 5 and 6 designate respectively the connecting end portions of two railway cars and 7 designates the air line carried by each car which terminates short of the ends of the car. Each improved coupling member comprises a cup shaped portion 8 provided at its mouth with a lateral flange 9 on which is secured a gasket 10 and extending from this cup portlon is a squared pipe section 11 into which is secured a pipe section 12 of circular cross section and to this pipe section is secured a flexible air hose 18 connected to the air line 7. The pipe 12 is slidably supported at its rear end by engagement in a ring 14 which is connected to the adjacent underportion of the car by upper and lower pairs of braces 16 and 17 respectively.

The forward end of each coupling member is supported in such manner that jerking movement of the car will be taken up by a suitable spring action and this is accomplished by surrounding the portion 11 with a frame 18 having openings 18 and connected to the car by a pair of braces 19 secured to its top portion and a pair of braces 20 secured to its bottom. Secured in spaced relation within this frame by suitable members 21 connecting it thereto is a second frame 22 having openings 22' which register with the openings 18 in the frame 18 to form guides. Shafts 23 are mounted in the guides 18 and 22 and carry plates 24 which are resiliently urged against the faces of the squared portion 11 by coil springs 25 surrounding the shafts between the plates and the inner frame. The coupling members are thus supported in such manner that the springs take up any jerking action to which the car is subjected, while at the same time longitudinal movement of the members is permitted to properly engage the members. The members are resiliently urged to engaging position by coil springs 26 surrounding the pipe 12 and bearing against the portion 11 and against the ring 14:.

A comparatively simple structure has thus been provided which is efficient and durable in operation. I The frame 18 and the ring 14 are braced against movement longitudinally of the car by suitable braces 26 which are connected with their lower portions to extend diagonally inward and are attached to the bottom of the car. The air lines at the end of the car are provided with suitable shutoff valves 27, and these valves are adapted to be actuated by suitable means accessible from the sides of the car and such means being not shown as they form no part of the present invention.

While I have illustrated and described a particular embodiment of my invention,

Patented June 27, 1916.

I have merely done so for the sake of con venience and I do not Wish to be limited to that particular embodiment as it is ob vious that numerous changes may be made Within the details of construction thereof Without in any Way departing from the spirit of the invention or exceeding the scope of the appended claim.

WVhat is claimed is In a coupling structure for air pipes, the combination With a supporting frame, of a supplemental frame disposed Within the supporting frame and secured in spaced re lation thereto, said frames having registering guide openings formed therein, a plurality of shafts slidably mounted in the guide openings, plates secured to the inner ends of the shafts, a coupling member located Within the supplemental frame and slidably engaged in all directions with the plates, means for holding the shafts With the plates yieldably against movement toward the supplemental frame, and means for urging the coupling member to longitudinal movement.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

CLAUD L. TURNER.

Witnesses FRED L. BURNS, B. F. GENTRY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

